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Archives for Ask the Chef

Camembert Substitute

by Elizabeth Skipper on May 15th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I was making a cheese tray the other weekend and was hoping to find camembert at my local market. Unfortunately, they had none. I had extra time, so I went to a different shop and was able to find camembert. However, I may not always have that much shopping time. What would be a suitable replacement for camembert?

Brie. Camembert and Brie are both semi-soft cheeses made from cow's milk, inoculated with the same penicillium candidum mold, and ripened for the same length of time, four to six weeks. Because US law forbids the sale of cheeses made from unpasteurized
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Corned Beef

by Elizabeth Skipper on March 6th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
Can I make my own corned beef instead of buying the brined meat?  If so, is it a project that is better left to the professionals or something I should try?

With St. Patty's Day right around the corner, it's a perfect time to try your hand at making your own corned beef. You don't need to leave this to "the professionals."

We all used to be the professionals. In the days before large food processors existed to perform these tasks for us, people raised their own food and were responsible for preserving it as well. Food was precious. "Corning" beef
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Hard-cooked Eggs

by Elizabeth Skipper on February 21st, 2012 | Ask the Chef
My family loves hard-boiled eggs; however, I don’t cook them well.  I either overcook or undercook them, but I never get them just right.  Is there a way to cook a hard-boiled egg perfectly?

Ah, a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg – with a tender yolk cooked just until it's done all the way through, but not until that nasty grayish-green ring appears around it. And if you're lucky – or you read the trick at the end – the yolk is nicely centered, which makes sliced eggs sturdier and prettier and deviled eggs so much easier to fill. It must
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Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

by TT on February 7th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I know that fresh herbs impart better flavor than dried.  However, I have a limited amount of window space for growing herbs.  Are there certain herbs that are better when used fresh, or oppositely are there herbs that are more acceptable in dried form?

Fresh herbs aren't always preferable to their dried counterparts. Some, like oregano, are often better dried. (There are many different varieties of oregano. The one I planted years ago I didn't realize is virtually tasteless, but the flowers are pretty and the bees love it, so it maintains a place in my garden.) Bay leaves are
Read More

Cake Flour

by Elizabeth Skipper on January 24th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I've been using cake flour for pasta dough lately, but it always seems to come out too sticky. Is it something to do with the wet weather we've been having, or should I go back to all-purpose flour?

Wet weather will somewhat influence how much moisture flour will absorb, but that's not the problem here. Trying to substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour is the culprit, no question.

The first thing you'll notice when substituting cake flour for all-purpose is how much less liquid it absorbs. If you use the amount your recipe usually calls for, you'll be surprised to find
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Eliminating Butter?

by Elizabeth Skipper on January 10th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
With the start of a new year I am trying to eat healthier foods.  I would like to reduce the amount of butter I use in cooking, but I am worried that I will lose lots of flavor.  How can I make food taste great, like a baked sweet potato or creamy polenta, without using butter?

Butter, being 80% fat, is a wonderful carrier for flavor. That's why we love it on foods like baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, and hot toast, biscuits, toast or polenta.

One way to maximize flavor while minimizing fat is to caramelize the food in some way.
Read More

Corned Beef

by Elizabeth Skipper on March 6th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
Can I make my own corned beef instead of buying the brined meat?  If so, is it a project that is better left to the professionals or something I should try?

With St. Patty's Day right around the corner, it's a perfect time to try your hand at making your own corned beef. You don't need to leave this to "the professionals."

We all used to be the professionals. In the days before large food processors existed to perform these tasks for us, people raised their own food and were responsible for preserving it as well. Food was precious. "Corning" beef
Read More

Hard-cooked Eggs

by Elizabeth Skipper on February 21st, 2012 | Ask the Chef
My family loves hard-boiled eggs; however, I don’t cook them well.  I either overcook or undercook them, but I never get them just right.  Is there a way to cook a hard-boiled egg perfectly?

Ah, a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg – with a tender yolk cooked just until it's done all the way through, but not until that nasty grayish-green ring appears around it. And if you're lucky – or you read the trick at the end – the yolk is nicely centered, which makes sliced eggs sturdier and prettier and deviled eggs so much easier to fill. It must
Read More

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

by TT on February 7th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I know that fresh herbs impart better flavor than dried.  However, I have a limited amount of window space for growing herbs.  Are there certain herbs that are better when used fresh, or oppositely are there herbs that are more acceptable in dried form?

Fresh herbs aren't always preferable to their dried counterparts. Some, like oregano, are often better dried. (There are many different varieties of oregano. The one I planted years ago I didn't realize is virtually tasteless, but the flowers are pretty and the bees love it, so it maintains a place in my garden.) Bay leaves are
Read More

Cake Flour

by Elizabeth Skipper on January 24th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I've been using cake flour for pasta dough lately, but it always seems to come out too sticky. Is it something to do with the wet weather we've been having, or should I go back to all-purpose flour?

Wet weather will somewhat influence how much moisture flour will absorb, but that's not the problem here. Trying to substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour is the culprit, no question.

The first thing you'll notice when substituting cake flour for all-purpose is how much less liquid it absorbs. If you use the amount your recipe usually calls for, you'll be surprised to find
Read More

Eliminating Butter?

by Elizabeth Skipper on January 10th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
With the start of a new year I am trying to eat healthier foods.  I would like to reduce the amount of butter I use in cooking, but I am worried that I will lose lots of flavor.  How can I make food taste great, like a baked sweet potato or creamy polenta, without using butter?

Butter, being 80% fat, is a wonderful carrier for flavor. That's why we love it on foods like baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, and hot toast, biscuits, toast or polenta.

One way to maximize flavor while minimizing fat is to caramelize the food in some way.
Read More
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